Bill Cheek - World Scanner Report

I

Publisher/Editor: K. 0. Cheek, Sr. aka “Dr. ligormortiP V2N6: July, 1992

Th.*S WORLD SCANNER REPORT

A Journal of VHF-UHF Scanner Technology & Engineering ISSN 1061-9240

Published at: COHHtronics Engineering; PO Box 262(18; San Diego, CA 92196 Copyright (c) 1991-2 <AII Rights Reserved) $4.00

WELCOME NEW & RETURNING READERS!

Gee, the second semester of 1992 is upon us already!
Already, the days are getting shorter and the downhill
slide to Christmas has begun. (I'm just getting over
last year's!) Thanks to a recent press release in
"Monitoring Times” Magazine, we've had a sizeable influx
of new readers. Cancellations and expirations are
continuing to run very low at less than 159! so the WSR
subscription rolls have reached an all-time high. THANK
YOU and welcome to all! We hope to live up to and even
exceed your fondest expectations!

BACK-ISSUES ALWAYS AVAILABLE!

The WSR started publishing in January, 1991, so counting
this issue, we have released sixteen issues so far; five
in each half-year. The back-issues will be available for
the foreseeable future, and as time passes, we'll try to
drop the price to an affordable level. Most of the
material in each issue will remain relevant and pertinent
for a long time to come, and there are fixed costs to
keeping them in print and in stock. But we'll try to
price them accordingly to account for economies of
postage savings and bulk handling. The bottom line is
that if you don't have the back-issues, you'll need them.
See the inside-bottom of the last page for an order blank
and prices to bring you up to date.

APOLOGIES TO THOSE WHO WERE OFFENDED

by my reply, last month, to a reader, John Morris, about
scanners and the computer age. I received several
outcries, including one from Mr. Morris. Try as we may,

I guess it is almost impossible to avoid giving offense
to some folks some of the time. I certainly intended no
offense to anyone in my staunch defense of computers as
related to scanners. I simply meant to convey that the
Computer Age has invaded our hobby and whether we like it
or not, it is here to stay for a while; probably forever.
Modern programmable scanners come with a microcomputer
inside. I suppose it is rather transparent in those 10-
ch jobs, but if yours has 50 or more channels, there is
just no way that you can extract the ultimate in utility
and application without a computer to assist you in one
form or another. I mean it, ONLY a computer can control
another computer with ultimate efficiency and accuracy.
Even if you use a computer to do nothing more than keep
track of frequencies, you're accomplishing much more in
less time than by the old hand or typewritten methods!
Perry Joseph succinctly points this out in his continuing
series on Scanner Frequency Management.

The modern 400-ch PRO-2004/5/6 scanners cannot come close
to effective utilization and realization of max potential
without the aid of a computer and that's all there is to
it! I'm talking fact, sum and substance here; not idle
whim, fancy and subjective opinion. If the facts invade
your personal comfort zone, I can understand and even
sympathize with personal preferences for the contrary.
But I have to do my job, and I do it matter-of-factly. I
don't mean to be brusque and diffident; it's just that
there's limited space in which to do the job, so I have
to economize, even in my words. If they seem short and
curt, please know that it is not personal.

I understand how even today, there are people who don't
like or appreciate the conveniences of modern technology.
The Amish and Mennonites, for example, continue to live
simple lives in the old way, shunning modern miracles of
technology. I suppose there's a bit of the Amish is many
of us in the sense that just about the time we become
comfortable with what Life has to offer, SHAZAMM! Along
comes a new technology to turn everything upside down.
In the process, perhaps we tend to forget the BASICS of
Life and Living. So I appreciate your positions, those
of you who would prefer to hold the reins tight and
proceed along at a leisurely gait. It's just that I
can’t hold in the reins since my Cosmic drive is to find,
develop and convey new ideas and ways to make scanning
more palatable; easier to do; and at least, manageable by
the typical hobbyist. A casual survey of the WSR's
subscription blanks which you filled out indicates the
great majority of Readers have computers and appear to
know how or want to know how to use them in the scanning
hobby. Scanning is only now coming of age in its own.

THINK about it, and compare it to Shortwave Listening or
even Amateur Radio. The "shortwave" spectrum consists of
the band of frequencies from DC to 30 MHz. Sounds like a
lot. The "scanner spectrum” starts at about 25 MHz and
continues through 1300 MHz or even 2000 MHz, depending on
the receiver. Now consider that DC to 30 MHz contains
exactly the SAME amount of spectrum as 25 MHz to 55 MHz!
Scannists have to deal with another 1245 MHz on top of
that! It’s NOT a job that can be effectively managed by
the casual working stiff, nor even the most brilliant
engineer, if you want to know the truth! Scanning can be
exploited beyond a superficial degree ONLY with the help
of a computer, and I have to be instrumental in the
transfer of that computer technology to the hobby.

But fret not, please. I am always on the lookout for any
tidbit of knowledge or gizmo that will bring increased
enjoyment of radio to scannists. I know your time is
limited and that you want to make the most out of it. A
computer is one magnificent tool that will not only

maximize your available time, but also will open new
doors to radio for you. There are things that one person
with a computer and a scanner can do today that an entire
military force or spy agency could not do twenty years
ago. Computers & dozens of other subjects hold positions
of honor on our agenda. We will use computers like a
mechanic uses a wrench, but the ”Horld Scanner Report " is
not going to become a computer rag. My formal assessment
is that since scanners come with computers built into
them nowadays, it's not a departure from the main theme
to apply other computers to make the itty-bitty things
work even better! If you don't like computers, so be it;

I don’t like 'em either. But my scanner has a half-baked
one inside and the new HB-232 Scanner/Computer Interface
with my $200 clunker PC/XT literally multiplies the
utility of my PRO-2004 by a factor of somewhere between
ten and a hundred. Some of you may not realize there is
a computer in your scanner. That's called "transparent".
The HB-232 will let you operate a scanner without paying
too much attention to the computer, but your monitoring
capability will multiply by 10-100! Such power cannot be
ignored or overlooked in the "HSR".

I FROM THE FIDONET, A READER'S TIP ON MOD-33

Tuesday, June 2, 1992, Gary Ross writes: Bill: I saw a
new PRO-2006 yesterday, Model 20-145A. Looked inside and
saw the two diodes on the back of the display board 'in
the clear', no potting; easy to access.

Those diodes never were potted anyway. Nary a sweat to
clip 'em both; one for speed and the other for cellular.
The only difference I can tell between the PRO-2006 and
2006A is that they did away with the DIMMER button and
made it an ON/OFF button for the background lighting.

Got a tip for your MOD-33, the Automatic Tape Recorder
Switch! Instead of messing with a hard-to-find ground-
isolated jack for the back of the scanner, just use a
stereo phono jack, 1/8" or 1/4", and tie the R and L
channel lugs to the MOD-33 relay contacts! Solder the R
& L lugs of a matching stereo plug to the pair of wires
in the Remote Cable! The grounded lug of the plug and
jack would not be used in this case.

EDITOR'S COMMENT: Geez, I feel ignorant! Dunno why the
hell I never thought of that, but sure as tootin', that
vill do the job! So simple and yet so elusive. Thanks!

iTJMTM ALU MOD-33 in my SCANNER MODIFICATION HANDBOOK
(Vo 1-2)-offers a neat way to trigger a tape recorder ON
when signals are present, and to PAUSE when there are no
signals. It works absolutely great, but the Remote Jack
on most tape recorders is isolated from ground and will
not work if it gets grounded to the scanner chassis. So
I cautioned hackers to use a ground-isolated jack on the
rear of the scanner or to employ some method to keep from
grounding either wire of the Remote Cable. No big deal,
just a pain in the butt. And now, Gary Ross gives us a
most elegant solution! Bravo!

-SflE AkTT ff EV I EW 6F whaT ' ' ^"coming! -

The HB-232 Scanner/Computer Interface

See the colored insert sheet with this issue for fuller
details, but you dear readers are among the first to know
about a soon-to-come computer interface that has the
potential to create a whole new dimension to scanning!
The HB-232 will do so much that you'll be a long time
exhausting all its capabilities, ( you may never exhaust
than all!) and yet it is simple enough to be operated
with great effectiveness from the very start! The HB-232
is so powerful that YOU can accomplish as much or more
communications monitoring than an entire military force
of only a few years ago. All you need is a PC/XT/AT/386/
486 or clone with 512-k RAM, a PRO-2004, PRO-2005 or PRO-
2006 scanner, an HB-232 and a few other easily obtained
materials. In my tests, I am using an old junker 640-k,
XT/clone that cost me $200 last November. Actually, it
cost $100 and the 40-Mb hard drive was another $100.

The HB-232 allows complete two-way user interaction &
control of the scanner from the computer’s keyboard or

the front panel of the scanner. It's what the computer
can do, even a clunker, that makes all the difference,
however. Here is an example: do you get a hollow, empty
feeling from the PRO-2004/5/6's SEARCH modes when it runs
into and stops on useless pager frequencies, "birdies" or
other worthless signals? I've had many requests for a
"Search Frequency Lockout " mod. Well, it comes standard
in the HB-232! You can EASILY tell the HB-232 which
frequencies you don't want it to stop on during a SEARCH
session, and it won't! You can add all your scanner’s

birdies to the list as well as frequencies for pagers,

data, and other non-voice signals; and even the more

common voice frequencies which you don't want to bother
with during a serious SEARCH session! Oh, not interested
in entering all the birdie frequencies from your
scanner's Owner's Manual, especially when that list is
neither accurate nor complete? Relax; it's a simple

matter to command the HB-232 to locate and log ALL your
scanner's birdies while you go off and do something else.
(This is about a 90-minute job, since it takes the

scanner THAT long to SEARCH between 25 MHz - 1300 MHz

anyway.) Oh, and when the HB-232 finds a "birdie”, it
logs it into the list and then directs the scanner to
resume SEARCH automatically. This, like many other HB-
232 processes is an automatic, hands-off procedure.

Never is the scanner’s normal operation affected in the
slightest. Unlike other interfaces which can slow down

the scanner to a snail's pace, the HB-232 doesn't do
anything to the scanner's performance other than control
and/or monitor it! The HB-232 Scanner/Computer Interface
is compatible with all known scanner modifications
including speedups with one exception: it might not be
compatible with the PRO-2006 and a quartz-crystal speed
increase. You might have to operate the HB-232 with a 12
MHz PRO-2006 for a time while we seek ways to make it
work at faster speeds. In any event, the HB-232 will
work just fine with speeded up PRO-2004's and 2005's.

The "WORLD SCANNER REPORT" (c)

1991-2;

V2N6: July, 1992; Page 2

Below is a print of the main operating screen of the Beta
Test version of the HB-232. The final version will
probably change a little, but we’ve got it pretty close.

Manual = M

Pri = !

Limit = L

1

2

3

Scan = S

Speed = soace

Srch Up = -

4

5

6

Delay = D

Mode = ]

Srch Dn = +

7

8

9

Lock-out = X

Step = [

Direct = *

0

•

Clr = bksp

L/0 Review = V

Reset = R

Monitor = tab

Prog = P

Enter

rev Pg V /.Logger On / /'Next Pg

Manual ' ' ' ~ ^ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 'a 9 10

,r Bank ■

82 ch 158.9700 Mhz ^

.Jljj T” '/ ' '

.1 .. - ~ . ■ ' : : Last Log Entry —-—-—-——n

'-YiV'cH , FREQ .MODE,DELAY,LK-OUT,OP MODE,STEP, DATE , TIME .DURATION' 0,'-.i'
. > 82'.: 158.9700-.tnfm, ' Man / 920709 .192335CT00007- 1

Now let’s explain that screen briefly: The top line is
the Main Menu which is hidden until you press F10 or F-1.
The Main Menu consists of Functions, Subfunctions, Tools,
Input/Output Control, Config or Setup and a Help File.
Functions are Autologger, Autoprogrammer, Birdie Checker
and a powerful Macro or Script function. Subfunctions
include several different ways to run the anti-Birdie
features. Tools include the standard text editor as well
as two more that you can supply and define here (DOS
utilities such as LIST or XTREEGOLD, etc). I/O Controls
include toggles for the four User Switches which can be
used to switch unrelated scanner functions and your own
modifications by means of the computer and the HB-232.

The next half of the screen is a reasonable facsimile of
the scanner’s keyboard and does nothing other than serve
as a visual cue or aid to the corresponding key functions
at the computer. This section of the screen can be page-
switched to display other activities. Various functions,
if active, will display just under the Keyboard Matrix.

The large rectangle just below the Keyboard Matrix is a
facsimile of the scanner's LCD Display. Everything that
can be seen in the scanner’s Display can be seen in this
large rectangle represented almost exactly like it is in
the scanner. You should feel very much at home here.

mode (not Scan) on July 3. 1992. at 7:23:35 pm and the
signal was logged for 7-seconds . If the SEARCH mode had
been selected, the STEP field would have shown the KHz
Increment and OP-MODE would have shown SrUp or SrDn
instead of Man. DELAY would have shown a "D" if set and
LK-OUT would have shown an "L",if locked out. Time is
given in 24-hr format and duration is in HHMMSS.

Not given here is another screen that shows the positions
of the 4 User Switches as well as 5 "status” inputs that
can be determined by the operator. Status inputs can be
used to observe other normally hidden functions of the
scanner, such as SQUELCH, on/off status of mods you did,
hi-temperature alarms, overvoltage conditions, and much,
much more. The uses for this input/output sensory &
control feature are virtually unlimited, or at least
limited mostly by the extent of your imagination!

What more can I say here? I'm tempted to go on and on,
but the enclosed info sheet will tell you more about the
HB-232; enough anyway, so that you'll know whether or not
one is for you. I will be happy to answer questions by
mail or on my Computer BBS at (619) 578-9247 after 5:30pm
and before 1:30pm, PDT. In fact, after the HB-232 goes
on sale, I will provide technical support and a special
message area for it on my BBS to make available another
powerful resource. Registered owners will be able to
access special script files and perhaps maintenance
upgrades to the software. I am convinced that the HB-232
is the best thing to come along since radio itself and
that it will usher in a new age, a new approach to VHF-
UHF scanning. Mark my words! The neat thing about the
HB-232 is that it can put REAL monitoring power in the
hands of the greenest neophyte. Imagine, then, the power
available to the dedicated, experienced scannist! It's
almost too good to be true, but the HB-232 is real
enough: I've been testing one for over a month now!
More next month, but if you want to catch the latest on
the HB-232, feel free to log on to my BBS and download
from the Scanner File Section a file called HB232RZ.ZIP.
or if you can't unZIP compressed files, then download
HB232R?.* to get all the text files on that subject.

The bottom area indicates the most recent logging. The
format may be confusing at first, but it is easy to
master and the indicators on the screen make it even
easier to see what's going on. That line is explained
below, to show its simplicity:

LAST LOG ENTRY is self explanatory. Immediately below
this line is the layout or structure for the Autologger
sequence. Immediately below the layout is the actual
data that was last logged to a file. The example shows:

j-Last Log Entry-j

fll FREQ HOPE DELAY LK-OUT OP-MOOE STEP DATE TIME DURATION
82 158.9788 nfn Man 928783 192335 888887

which is explained as: Channel j)82 containing 158.970 MHz
set to NFH mode. no delay and not locked out, in MANUAL

SCANNER FREQUENCY MANAGEMENT - PART 4
by Perry Joseph, President, DataFile, Inc.

Developer of ProScan Frequency Managenent Systea.

Now that I've covered some types of database programs,
let's focus on some of the features needed to manage a
frequency list. First, we need to consider the format
and substance of the data. Most databases require the
operator to setup or layout the structure of each data
file. This "structure" consists of the name of each
field, the type of field (alphabetic, numeric, date,
time, etc.) and the size (width) of each field. Here is
a prime example for you: the HB-232 Scanner/Computer
Interface’s Autologger function creates a comma-delimited
text file with the following field names and widths.
This file is eminently suited for immediate export into a
database, but the database has to be structured first:

The "WORLD SCANNER REPORT" (c) 1991-2;

V2N6: July, 1992; Page 3

FIELD

NAME

PURPOSE OF FIELD

FIELD LENGTH
(WIDTH)

TYPE OF
FIELD DATA

CH

Channel Logged

3 chars

Numeric

FRED

Frequency (MHz)

9 chars

Numeric

MODE

NFM, WFM or AM

3 chars

Alphabetic

DELAY

D=on; blank=off

1 char

Alphabetic

LK-OUT

L=L/0; Blank=active

1 char

Alphabetic

OP MODE

Manual, Scan or Search

4 chars

Alphabetic

STEP

Search Step Increment

4 chars

Numeric

DATE

Date of logging

6 chars

Date

TIME

Time Logging began

6 chars

Time

DURATION

Length of logging

6 chars

Time

TOTAL RECORD LENGTH

43 chars

It's important to pay some attention here because any
mistakes made when you set up the structure of a database
may have to be lived with later. You will want to avoid
miscalculating available disk space and creating a record
size so large that when multiplied by enough records,
winds up hogging half the hard disk {hard disk bloatus).
This is probably not a concern for those who will only be
keeping a few hundred records on large capacity hard
disks, . Some database programs allow the expansion of
existing fields or adding more fields to the record
structure at a later date without losing data already
entered. Making an existing structure smaller can result
in loss of data in some programs so it is wise to use a
database program that allows modification of the data
structure AFTER it has been created and data entered.

Those who share data with others may be concerned with
compatibility of data structures and file formats.
According to market statistics, the most popular format
is the dBase format, files from which usually have a file
extension name of " .DBF" . Another popular format is
called System Data Format (SDF) which is a standard ASCII
file where each record is fixed length, ends with a
carriage return and line feed, and an end-of-file mark.
(Ctrl-Z). There are other formats, too, but let's not be
concerned with them at this time.

Many database programs offer the ability to export/import
to or from other popular formats. There are utility
programs which handle all types of data conversion from
one format to another like Data Junction by Tools &
Techniques (800) 444-1495, or DataFlow by Information
Management Systems (800) 477-0774. Once data is defined
and entered, accessing the data becomes the main task.
Assuming we are going to track more than a hundred
frequencies and don’t want to wait for the program to
look up a specific record (anything over one second is
"having to wait" in this author's opinion), we will want
to use a feature called indexing. The more powerful
database programs offer this feature. Indexing takes the
form of an auxiliary file based on a key field or fields
of each record. Indexing is, in fact, sorting a data
file without having to change the physical locations of
the records. Indexes can be "active” and are built as we
enter data; unlike physical sorting which is usually a
routine, separate from entering data and may require

additional time depending on how fast your computer is
and how much data you have.

To give you a basic example of indexing, let's say we
’’index” a file on the frequency field. The database
program builds an index file by looking at each record’s
frequency and determining the record's position based on
numerical order. When we request a specific record, the
program looks at the index file and works on "process of
elimination". Say we have 20 records. The first move is
to discover if the record is in the first 10 or last 10
records. If it is determined to be in the first 10
records, then it determines if the record is in the first
5 or second 5 records and continues this "halving"
process until the record number is found and the physical
record is pointed to. Obviously this is faster than
having to look at each physical record until the correct
record is found, unless of course the record happens to
be at the beginning of the file. You can have multiple
index files as well. In addition to the frequency index,
we could have an alphabetical index for the name or
location or a combination of both for a frequency user.
Of course, the more index files we have, the more disk
space we use.

Printing data is important too. We can utilize the index
files so that we print our data in a specific order. We
will also want to print data based on a specific
condition or "boundary". This allows us to print
specific records without having to print them all at
once. If we are diligent about keeping our data to a
minimum, and if we use 8-1/2” by 11" paper, we can print
approximately 80 characters on each line of our report
using draft mode (roughly 10 characters per inch). We
can increase the number of characters per line by using
the "condensed" (17-cpi) mode, assuming the printer is
capable. Ideally, we will find a way to print a full
frequency record on one line. This saves paper, not to
mention trees. These are some of the features needed to
minimize the time in managing our data. For those who
find these details tedious, boring or simply don’t have
the time, money or urge to become a database programmer,
STAY TUNED. In my next installment, I will provide you
with an easy solution to frequency management which
offers the powers of a professional database package for
less than the typical database price. Until then, I hope
you’re enjoying your Summer. Pass the buns please!

SCANNER FREQUENCY ACTIVITY TAGGER
FOR THE PRO-2004/5/6 & MAYBE OTHER SCANNERS

By: Professor Peabody

Greetings Fellow Scannerfans! Good stuff this month!
Have you ever purchased a frequency guide and rushed
headfirst to punch in all those new freqs? And then,
after loading up a Block of 400 channels, sat back and

hit the SCAN button .only to wait .and wait?...

And then you go get a cold can of something or another
and come back and wait some more. Then, wow! You jump!

The "WORLD SCANNER REPORT" (c) 1991-2;

V2N6: July, 1992; Page 4

You've got one now!! One freq has some activity! Great!
It's a keeper. Now you only have to wait for 399 more.
(Gloom) About then you wish you had some way of finding
out which freqs are duds and which ones are good. Well
listen up, Pards, I’ve got a quick and cheap way to tag
active channels. A neat little function lurks on the
keypad that just waits to blossom and do the job. Its
the lowly LOCKOUT key. HUH? Say what? Yeah, that’s
right. Finally, there’s a great use for the sucker!

The LOCKOUT key, in conjunction with the LOCKOUT REVIEW
key, will form a great team to tag by LOCKing OUT all
active, but ONLY active channels. My slick & wicked,
easy little circuit waits for a SQUELCH break and then
generates a half-second pulse to activate a single CMOS
bilateral switch that's wired into the keyboard to
electronically press the LOCKOUT key. Then the scanner
resumes SCAN until the next squelch break. Upon the next
break, that channel gets locked out also. As active
channels get locked out, the odds of finding even less
active channels are increased. You know which ones are
busy and you don't have to worry about writing down who's
who because they are all tagged with the Lockout. You
can even leave the radio on when you're gone and it will
still find and tag the active freqs. Obviously, you want
to start the operation with no channels LockedOut and let
the AutoTagger do the work for you.

Of course, the same caveats apply as for the Search &
Store Modules; namely RF & atmospheric burps will break
squelch, but its easy later on, to see which ones are
Intermods and which are truly active. So, after an
AutoTag Session, turn off the AUTOTAG function, set the
radio to channel 1 , and press the LOCKOUT REVIEW key to
quickly scroll through ail the tagged active channels.
Write down on a piece of paper or better yet, put them
right into your computer so the OL’ FATMAN (or the new
HB-232 Interface) can load them back into your radio in a
flash. If you originally put all the freqs into the
computer to have an interface load em' in, all you have
to do is remove the unused freqs; do a sort and you're
ready to reload with just the plain good stuff.

The circuit is a snap with only 2 chips: one half of a
"one shot" and one quarter of a CMOS switch. If you
built & installed the Extended Delay function (MOD-29),
use the other half of its 74HC123 chip for economy, if
you like. The Q output of the 74HC123A is connected to a
CMOS bilateral switch which controls two pins of the
keyboard connector that make the LOCKOUT function. The
switch should be very close to the keyboard connector
with only 1-1/2" inch wires from U-2, Pins 1 & 2. The
other wires can be of any practical length. A +5v high
from the Q output puts a +5v high at the control pin of
the switch and makes the switch close. The 1/2-sec pulse
will come at the end of the scanner's squelch break to
Lockout the channel. I experimented with a number of
trigger points and found the Squelch Gate to be best.
Other points caused 2 LOCKOUT pulses to be created which
locked out not only the desired channel, but the next
one, too! Yuk!

One thing to note: I have set up the circuit so that when
you enable the TAG function it will immediately output a
Test Lockout pulse. This is an operational check, so
just press the LOCKOUT key to remove the lockout and
you're ready to start the tagging operation. Just be
sure to unLock ALL channels before you start AutoTagging.
That's it for this month's circuit, so enjoy to the max!

IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE: Especially if the AutoTag function
seems to be erratic, add another one (maybe two) 2.2-uF
capacitors in parallel with C-1. Otherwise, there is
nothing unusual or persnickety about this circuit. If it
doesn't work, you’ve made an error somewhere.

OTHER SCANNERS? I dunno, but why not? All you want is
for the SQUELCH gate to trigger a 1/2-sec control pulse
to a bilateral switch, the contacts of which should be
wired to your scanner's keyboard matrix, the one column
and one row that’s for your LOCKOUT key. Study your
schematic diagram to make this concept clear. There is a
major difference between the SQUELCH gate circuits of the
PRO-2004/5/6 and other scanners that you will want to
note: The PRO-2004's SQUELCH gate at CN-504, Pin 9 is
high at +5v when SQUELCH is set and low at 0-v when
SQUELCH breaks. The PRO-2005/6 are the same, but at CN-
3, Pin 5. Most other scanners use an opposite logic
gate: low for SQUELCH SET and high for SQUELCH BREAK.
No problem with my circuit, but a minor change will be
necessary. Refer to the schematic and make the following
change for most all scanners other than the PRO-2004/5/6:

_ SCHEMATIC CHANGE FOR MOST OTHER SCANNERS

1. Connect Pin 2 of U-1 to the +5v Supply.

2. Remove the ground at U-1, Pin 1, and use Pin 1 for

the input of your SQUELCH GATE signal. _

No other changes are necessary.

NOTE: If the SQUELCH logic in your scanner is +6 to +8v,
then be sure to power this circuit with the same levels.
74HC CMOS circuits must always be powered with the same
voltage, give or take 0.5-v, as the high signal level!

NOTE: For information about the SQUELCH gate signal
location in your scanner, refer to back issues of the
”lfSR”, V1N4, V1N7 & V1N9 for detailed data about the
NFM/SQUELCH chip, logic & pinout for your scanner.

FATMAN INTERFACE UPDATE : By the way, I received the
newest version of FILE EXPRESS that I use with the FATMAN
and it has a new feature that is well suited to scanner
databases. A tagging function is available for cut &
paste operations with sections of your database. This
makes it easy to rebuild your main database and to
manipulate and change data as you wish. This will work
hand in hand with loading in new freqs that you found
with the AUTOTAG function. FILE EXPRESS is available as
shareware. I would like to hear from any of you who
built the FATMAN Interface and about your results.
Remember, technical help with problems is always
available from Doc and me. /Prof Peabody

The "WORLD SCANNER REPORT" (c) 1991-2;

V2N6: July, 1992; Page 5

HOW TO DO SCANNER MODIFICATIONS
or

HOW TO PROPERLY HACK YOUR SCANNER

That Is the question, it seems. For some reason that I
haven't determined, there has been a rash of mishacked
scanners come across my bench. For the first couple of
years after my SCANNER MODIFICATION HANDBOOKS were out, I
was pleasantly surprised at the very few mishacks and
serious errors that came to my attention. Frankly, I was
prepared for a flood, and when few came, I was lulled
into a false sense of security. Maybe it's a new
generation now; maybe other factors have entered into
play, but all I know for sure is that I've seen an awful
lot of shoddy work lately; all of a sudden-like. It's
time to get back to the basics. Several common factors
emerge which are worth talking about a little:

SOLDERING TECHNIQUES : Frankly, good soldering is neither
an art nor a science. It's just a part of the job, but
there are a couple of things to know in order to make
your work successful. A little too much heat is better
than too little heat! Low heat can result in cold solder
joints. If they don't cause trouble now, they will
later, probably at a most inopportune time. Your
soldering pencil should be rated at a minimum of 35-watts
and preferably closer to 50-watts. The tip of the
soldering iron should be of the "iron clad" variety; not
copper. After it's up to temperature, the tip should be
wiped on a sopping wet sponge before and after every
solder connection. This keeps it clean and ready to melt
solder. Immediately prior to making a solder joint,
apply a dab of solder to the tip and then touch the tip
to the connection; wait for one second and then melt
solder to the connection, NOT to the tip of the iron.
This process will require another second. The remove the
solder, but leave the soldering tip on the joint for
another second and then remove it. After the joint has
cooled, it should be bright and shiny; not gray and
wrinkled. Solder, at the right temperature, will flow
into the heated joint to make a permanent connection.

USE OF HOOKUP WIRE is an underrated subject. You should
use only good quality, small gauge, stranded, and very
flexible hookup wire for your scanner hacking projects.
This eliminates Radio Shack's selection of "welding
cables” that they call hookup wire. The insulation drips
like melted candle wax and these wires are much too stiff
and rigid for our light duty needs. Surprisingly, Radio
Shack used to have some great wire, though it's been
formally discontinued now. Still, most stores have some
in stock, and you should lay in a supply. But it's not
what you think it is! We're talking about their Computer
LAN cable, #278-776 (25-cond) and #278-775 (9-cond). You
have to strip off the outer gray insulation and then
remove the braided and foil shields, but what's left is
some of the finest color-coded hookup wire you ever saw
in your Life! This stuff is so great, you'll wonder how
you ever did without it. It's very flexible; strong and
easily handled in most all circumstances.

I cannot over emphasize the use of good quality hook up
wire in your hacking adventures. Use ONLY the type of
stuff I have described above, and if you can't locate any
or don’t know what I am talking about, then send me a
SASE and request a "hookup wire sample" which I'll be
delighted to send. If worse comes to worse and your
local Radio Shacks are out of the good stuff, go to your
local electronics supply house and ask to see a sample of
their 25-conductor, shielded computer LAN cable. That's
the stuff that you probably want. Send me a sample for
my evaluation if there is any doubt.

INSTALL THINGS WITH A PLAN or else suffer some expensive
or heart-breaking consequences later. What do I mean by
"Plan"? Harumph! I know you better than you know
yourself. See, if you sneak into your scanner and pull
off a mod successfully, it won't be long before you’re
back in there sticking something else in. And then
again! And again. If you don’t take this into account
from the very start, then your scanner is going to get
cluttered and boogered up before you know it. And then,
what if trouble arises with some real hairy mod? Well,
your troubleshooting and diagnosis efforts will then be
severely hampered for one thing, and if you later draw a
blank and ask me to service the unit for you, I probably
won't do it! There’s just no way that I can invest 8-16
hours of my labor, only to draw a blank like you might.

The moral here is to install each and every mod in an out
of the way place as if there will be a hundred more to
follow. Dress all wiring cleanly and neatly and out of
the way. Wire bundles should he routed around the
perimeter of the scanner, for the most part. Little
circuit boards can be soldered to the metal sides of the
scanner. The power transformer can be removed to create
more room for the larger mods, and besides, it's better
to power the scanner from an external DC power supply
anyway. Runs cooler and makes things last longer.

For the most part, digital modifications are not critical
with regard to wire length. Exceptions to this include
extended memory modifications and mods which have to
connect to the Keyboard matrix of the scanner.. In these
two exceptions, keep the wire runs extremely short.
Otherwise, digital mods can be installed most anywhere.
RF mods have to have short wire leads and audio mods
should have some attention paid to wire length, though
not as critical. Another rule of thumb is that all
ground wires should be as short as possible, while DC
power leads can be of any practical length. Hobbyists
tend to be impatient and hurried in their work. Force
yourself to slow down; do things one step at a time, and
make each step as perfect as possible before proceeding
to the next. Use Davy Crockett's motto: "Be sure you
are right and then go ahead".

THE RIGHT TOOLS & MATERIALS are very important to good
hacking! For Pete's Sake, throw away those rolls of
black electrical tape and duct tape. Same for cellophane
and masking tapes. Yuk! Sometimes, Scotch 810 Magic
Tape can be useful for wrapping wire bundles, but better

The "WORLD SCANNER REPORT" (c) 1991-2;

V2N6: July, 1992; Page 6

AUTOTAGGER CIRCUIT FOR PRO-2004/5/6 & OTHER SCANNERS

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SEE TEXT FOR. OTHER. SCANNERS l

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TEXT FOR OTHER SCANNERS l f VD * e J~ = . OMJU ,^ T Sff

U-l PiNo. To DC SUPPLY LINE AND SCANNERS

NOTE: SCouNEcTioWs 7o ScamNeR APE L ‘?'J>» US£

te&UiREO: + DC GROUND. „ >T ^ TH£ A,*TT.

f<2tl£l_Cri GATE . KEYED COLU/filf i C- l * CuiT As SHouN APPLIES ONcV

Keyboard RoW (for lockout.) To the pro.loon/s/g.

3 . Lockout fvrfcriobl feauiRFP j lockout' xzJieW riot kIbcf^ar^/
The "WORLD SCANNER REPORT" (c) 1991-2; V2N6: July, 1992; Page 7 Josr«*»/.'

CONFIDENTIAL SUBSCRIPTION ORDER: Please Print Clear!

STREET:_

CITY:_STATE:_ZIP:_

AMOUNT

PHONE :[ _)_ENCLOSED: |_

THE BELOj QUESTIONS ME OPTimL BUT KILL HELP US HELP Ml
Radio Interests? (Put YEARS OF EXPERIENCE in each block that applies
VHF-UHF Amateur CB Shortwave Professio

Scanning?_Radio?_Radio?_Listen ing?_Radio?_

Career/Profession

Or Occupation?_

List makes 4 models of your scanners 4 other radio equipment:

Professional
Radio?_

Describe your technical abilities 4 interests here

18/31/92 SUBSCRIPTION RATES 4 ORDER BLANK V2N6
USA RATES: (Canada *19$: Other Foreion +2j$/surf or *49$/Air

»SR BACK ISSUES ONLY USA » Check Items

Any Single Copy, your choice 1 ea $ A.99 t _

1991 (1st 6-mo, Jan-May/Jun) 5 ea $13.59 _

1991 (2nd 6-mo, Jul-Nov/Dec) 5 ea $13.59 _

1991 (1st Year, Jan-Nov/Dec) 19 ea $23.99 _

1992 (3rd 6-mo, Jan-May/Jun) 5 ea $15.99 _

1991- 2 (All the above) 15 ea $35.99 _

HSR CURRENT SUBSCRIPTIONS ONLY

1992 (July-Nov/Dec) 6-raos 5 ea $15.99 _

1992- 3 (July - Hay/Jun) 1-yr 19 ea $25.99 _

1992-4 (July - May/Jun) 2-yr 29 ea $45.99 _

OTHER LITERATURE AVAILABLE

HOBBY RADIO BUYER’S DIRECTORY $14.95 ppd surf _

SCANNER MOD HNDBX, VoJ-1: $17.95 + $3.99 S4H _*

SCANNER MOD HNDBK, VoI-2: $17.95 + $3.99 S4H _*

* Canada US$4 S4H: Other Foreion US$5 S4H: extra for Air Hail
HAKE REMITTANCE PAYABLE IN US FUNDS TO: COMHTMHICS EHGIMttlM
Include a 119 S.A.S.E. and one loose extra stamp if you want
hobby info 4 personal reply! Business inquiries exempt.

still are cable ties, heat shrinkable tubing and short
lengths of bundling "spaghetti". Anything is better than
tape! NEVER use tape to insulate solder joints & wire
splices! You can bet your bottom dollar the stuff will
come undone when you least expect it! Uncouth!

Tools_a good subject. Yes, I have a few cool thousand

invested in good tools of the trade but you know what? I
use less than a hundred bucks worth for 95$ of my needs.
Following is what I call a good, functional tool kit for
hacking & chopping scanners. I don't like a lot of Radio
Shack's stuff, but what I listed below will be more than
adequate for your needs

CHK DESCRIPTION

RADIO SHACK
CATALOG No.

_ Electric drill, 3/8", w/bits to 3/8"

K-Mart, etc

_ Diagonal cutting pliers, small

64-1841

_ Locking Longnose Pliers

64-1864

_ Adjustable wrench, 4" (small)

K-Mart, etc

_ Precision flatblade screwdrivers

64-1948

_ Precision crosspoint screwdrivers

64-1962

_ Mini forceps

64-1910

_ Nibbling Tool

64-823

_ Lighted magnifier

63-848

_ Screwdrivers, assorted

64-1823

_ Needle file set

64-1985

_ Knife set

64-1801

_ Hot Glue Gun & Glue sticks

K-Mart, etc

_ Soldering pencil holder/cleaner

64-2078

_ Soldering pencil base unit

64-2080

_ Soldering element

64-2082

_ Soldering tips 64-2089 & 64-2074

_ Desoldering tool

64-2098

_ Pocket Pen light

61-2626

_ Disposable butane lighter

Anywhere

Now, all self-respecting hackers need "stuff" besides
just tools. It's all self explanatory, though:

| The "WORLD SCANNER REPORT" (c) 1

_ Silver bearing solder

64-013

_ Micro-mini solder

64-005

_ Desoldering braid

64-2090

_ Cleaner/Degreaser Solvent

64-3322

_ Rosin Flux Remover

64-3324

_ Double-sided tape

64-2344

_ Velcro (Hook & loop) strips

64-2345

_ Epoxy resin

64-2313

_ Super Glue

64-2308

_ Silicone rubber sealant

64-2314

_ Precision Lubricator

64-2301

And then, besides tools and "stuff", the

hacker needs a

small supply of widgets, gidgets and basic fasteners:

_ Standoffs w/screws

276-195

_ Perf board stock

276-1395

_ Machine screws 64-3010.

3011 & 3012

_ Machine nuts 64-3017,

3018 & 3019

_ Flat washers

64-3022

_ Grommets

64-3025

_ Wire ties

278-1632

_ Heat Shrinkable Tubing

278-1627

_ Dynamite; two-sticks; for last resort

?

Now here's the crazy thing about it all. You can take or
leave these lists of tools, stuff and widgets which are
not going to make or break you as a hacker. There's
something else that I can't really give you directly;
only awaken you to it: ATTITUDE! An ounce of the right
attitude will go farther than a 100 lbs of tools and
stuff. You've got to PLAN your hacking attack; stick to
a methodology; and be patient. Yes, you have to be
prepared with the right tools & materials, but putting
attitude & patience at the top of the list will help the
rest of the list take care of itself. If you are a
novice hacker, don't outsmart me and take shortcuts.
Follow along for a while and get used to the taste of
success. I may seem to take the LONG WAY around at
times, but it's with the BIG PICTURE in mind. /Bill

991-2; V2N6: July, 1992; Page 8

COMMTRONICS ENGINEERING
The "WORLD SCANNER REPORT"
PO BOX 262478
SAN DIEGO, CA 92196-2478

V2N6

920630

jj IN THIS ISSUE

ISSN-mi-9240

FIRST CLASS MAIL

+ Back Issues of the HSR Always Available
+ Apologies To Those Hho Here Offended Last Month
t Computers A Scanning Discussed Again

♦ A Reader's Tip for HOD-33; Automatic Tape Recorder Switch

t Introducing The Coming Hew HB-232 Scanner/Computer Interface

♦ Scanner Frequency Management; Part 4

+ AutoTagger For Active Frequencies; A Great Hew Modification!
t FATMAH Computer Interface Update
+ How to Properly Hack and Modify Tour Scanners
*JMJ m: The few Holistic PRO-43; A handheld PR0-2U6?